"I put the 'R' in the MMR vaccine, and I'm scared that, like measles, rubella could make a comeback under RFK Jr."

[Nevilledog]

https://www.inquirer.com/opinion/commentary/kennedy-measles-mmr-vaccines-rubella-public-health-20250407.html

No paywall link
https://archive.li/Qh8gz

Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s efforts to make the use of the MMR vaccine voluntary is not only letting loose measles, with all its acute and long-lasting effects, but also will allow mumps and German measles (rubella) to return to America.

MMR is called by those three letters because it contains vaccines against mumps and rubella, as well as measles. Mumps, for those who remember it, conjures up swollen and painful faces around the salivary glands, but it also frequently causes meningitis, inflammation of the testicles, and deafness.

The “R” in MMR — rubella — may not immediately conjure up such vivid images, but in the early 1960s, there was a huge outbreak of it, starting in Europe and spreading to the United States, where it caused an estimated 13 million cases.

Rubella causes a generalized rash, but it can also cause arthritis and other problems. Most importantly, if rubella infects a pregnant woman just before conception or in early pregnancy, it frequently passes to the unborn child, resulting in permanent neurological, cardiac, and other abnormalities.

*snip*

[rsdsharp]

1. A few months ago I asked my doctor about boosters for many of the childhood diseases.

She poo-pooed me, saying my fears about Jr. were misplaced. I have another appointment next month. I’ll see if she’s changed her mind.

[coffeenap]

2. I asked for and received a titer test for MMR.

I think it's a good idea to check. My results showed immunity was strong for all three. I am comforted knowing.

[Melon]

4. This sounds like a good idea...I'm not able to get all

Vaccines and wonder if I have some level of immunity.

[yourout]

3. Wait till polio and smallpox re-emerge.